Ignition distributor



March 17, 1970 SAULMON 3,501,600

IGNITION DISTRIBUTOR Filed Feb. 19, 1968 United States Patent O 3,501,600 IGNITION DISTRIBUTOR James E. Saulmou, 305 E. Main St., Wabash, Ind. 46992 Filed Feb. 19, 1968, Ser. No. 706,537

- Int. Cl. H01h 19/12 US. Cl. 200-19 8 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An improved distributor comprising a drive shaft, a plurality of contact elements peripherally spaced about the shaft, each contact element being adapted to be connected to a conventional spark plug, a rotor mounted on the shaft for rotation therewith and current carrying means mounted on the radially outer portion of the rotor and arranged to move past and transmit current to each contact element. In one embodiment of the invention, each contact element is formed to define at least two peripherally spaced contact areas past which the current carrying means moves so that two separate surges of current are transmitted to each spark plug for each revolution of the rotor. In another embodiment, the current carrying means comprises at least two periph erally spaced contact points arranged to move past each contact element so that at least two separate surges of current are transmitted to each spark plug during each revolution of the rotor. And, in still another embodiment, each contact element is formed to define a plurality of peripherally spaced contact areas and the current carrying means is formed to define a plurality of peripherally spaced contact points, each contact point being arranged to move past each contact area so that a,

plurality of separate current surges is transmitted to each spark plug during each revolution of the rotor.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the invention The present invetnion relates generally to current distributors, and more particularly to the provision of an improved distributor for use with the ignition system of an internal combustion engine.

Description of the prior art A distributor is a rotary electrical switch used to distribute electrical current from one source to a number of separate circuits. A common example is the distributor generally associated with an automobile engine ignition system. In such systems, high-tension ignition current suitable for use by spark plugs is delivered to a current carrying means at the distal end of a revolving switch arm. Peripherally spaced about the path of this current carrying means is a plurality of contact elements, each of which is connected to a spark plug. Rotation of the arm brings the current carrying means successively opposite the contact elements. There may be actual contact between the current carrying means and the contact elements, or the current may be required to jump a small gap therebetween, in which case, the potential of the current must be quite high.

Conventionally, the contact elements and the current carrying means are proportioned and designed so that there is a single surge of current transmitted to each spark plug during each revolution of the arm. Specifically, each current carrying means conventionally comprises a single contact point arranged to move past each contact element and to transmit a single surge of current to each element.

The prior art known to the present inventor does 3,501,600 Patented Mar. 17, 1970 ice SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is a primary object of the present invention, therefore, to provide an improved distributor comprising a plurality of peripherally spaced contact elements, each of which is adapted to be connected to a conventional spark plug, and a revolving current carrying means, the contact elements and current carrying means being arranged so that a plurality of separate current surges is transmitted to each such spark plug during each revolution of the current carrying means.

It has been found that an automobile engine having an ignition system comprising the distributor of the present invention will give significantly better performance than it will with an ignition system comprising a conventional distributor. Specifically, it is an object of this invention to provide a distributor that will cause a spark plug in a cylinder to fire at least two times during each ignition cycle in the cylinder, thereby to burn a greater percentage of the fuel mixture that is compressed in the cylinder during the compression cycle.

The improved distributor of the present invention comprises a drive shaft, a plurality of contact elements peripherally spaced about the shaft, a rotor mounted on the shaft for rotation therewith, and current carrying means carried by the rotor. In one embodiment of the invention, the current carrying means comprises at least two peripherally spaced contact points, each contact point being arranged to move past and transmit current to each contact element. In another embodiment of the invention, each contact element is formed to define at least two contact areas past which the current carrying means must move and the current carrying means is arranged to transmit current to each of the contact areas. In still another embodiment of this invention, each contact element is formed to define a plurality of contactareas past which the current carrying means must move and the current carrying means comprises means defining a plurality of contact points, each of which is arranged to move past and transmit current to each contact area.

Since, in some instances, it is desirable that there be actual contact between the current carrying means and each contact element while, in other instances, it is desirable that there be a gap therebetween, nothing in this description or in the claims appended hereto is to be interpreted as requiring an actual contact or a gap between the current carrying means and the contact elements. Thus, it will suffice to say that each current carrying means moves past and transmits current to each contact element. Other features and objects of this invention will become apparent as this description progresses.

The above-mentioned and other features and objects of this invention and the manner of attaining them will become more apparent and the invention itself will be best understood 'by reference to the following description of embodiments of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a sectional view taken so as to show the interior of a distributor cap having one type of contact element peripherally spaced thereabout and a distributor arm mounted for rotation relative to the distributor cap, the distributor arm carrying one type of contact member at its distal end;

FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1, but showing contact elements of a diife'rent type;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 1, but showing contact elements of still another type and a different type of contact member carried by the distribtuor arm;

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 1, but showing contact element of the type shown in FIG. 2 and still another type of contact member carried by the distributor arm; and

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary, sectional view, slightly enlarged, taken from FIG. 3 generally along the line 55 and showing the manner in which a conventional spark plug is connected to each contact element.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring now to the drawings, it will be seen that there is illustrated a conventional distributor cap of the type which is used in ignition systems of six cylinder engines, and a rotor drive shaft 12 which is journalled for rotation relative to the distributor cap 10, the axis of the shaft being generally coincident with the axis of the cap. Conventionally, the shaft 12 is drivingly connected to the crank shaft of the engine so that, when the engine is running, the shaft is rotated in the direction of the arrow 14. Mounted on the shaft 12 for rotation therewith is a rotor member 16 which is conventionally fabricated from an insulative material. Although the illustrative rotor member 16 is a radially extending arm', it will be understood that rotors may take various forms and, in some cases, the rotor may be a circular disc concentrically mounted on the shaft 12 for rotation therewith.

As seen in FIG. 5, current carrying means, indicated generally by the reference numeral 18 and hereinafter referred to as the contact member 18, is mounted on the radially outer portion of the rotor member 16 by means such as the illustrated fastener 20. A current-carrying leaf spring is connected to the contact member 18 by the fastener 20 and is arranged to extend radially inwardly therefrom. This spring 22 is provided with a contact portion 24 arranged to engage the contact portion 25 of a current carrying member 26. The current carrying member 26 is carried in the lower portion of a conventional ferrule 28 mounted in the center opening of the distributor cap 10. The ferrule 28 receives the high-tension plug which is conventionally connected to an automobile distributor. The spring 22 is proportioned and designed to urge its contact portion 24 in the direction of the arrow 30 against the contact portion 25. It will be appreciated that the spring 22 rotates relative to the member 26 and that the contact portions 24 and 25 provide a continuous connection between the member 26 and the contact member 18.

conventionally, the distributor cap 10 carries a plurality of contact elements 32 peripherally spaced about the path of movement of the contact member 18, each contact element being adapted to be connected to a conventional spark plug 34 (FIG. 5) by means of a spark plug wire 36. When a surge of current is transmitted from the contact 18 to a contact element 32, the spark plug 34 connected to the contact element fires. The object of the present invention is to cause each spark plug 34 to fire more than one time during each revolution of the contact member 18 or, in other words, to arrange the contact member 1 8 and each contact element 32 so that there will be more than one surge of current transmitted to each contact element during each revolution of the contact member. The various illusrative embodiments provided to meet this object will be discussed in conjunction with FIGS. l-4. In this discussion, like reference numerals indicate like parts.

In the embodiment of FIG. 1, each contact element 32' is formed in a U-shape to define a pair of spaced-apart contact areas 38, and the contact member 18' is formed to define a pair of spaced-apart contact points 42, 44. Preferably, the peripheral spacing between each pair of contact areas 38, 40 is equal to the peripheral spacing between the contact points 42, 44. Thus, as the contact member 18' moves in the direction of the arrow 14 past one of the contact elements 32', there will be transmitted to the contact element three separate surges of current. Specifically, the first surge of current will be transmitted when the contact point 42 moves past the contact area 38 of the one contact element 32, the second surge of current will be transmitted when the contact points 42 and 44 move past, respectively, the contact areas 40 and 38 of the one contact element 32 and the third surge of current will be transmitted when the contact point 44 moves past the contact area 40 of the one contact element 32. It will be apparent that, if one of the contact points 42, 44 is removed, there will be two surges of current transmitted to each contact element 32' during each revolution of the contact member 18'. Further, it will be appreciated that the time duration between current surges transmitted to a contact element 32 will be dependent on the spacing between the contact points 42, 44 and the contact areas 38, 40. Since the spacing between each pair of contact areas 38, 40 is equal to the spacing between the contact points 42, 44, the time duration between successive current surges transmitted to each contact element 32 will be equal if the speed of the shaft 12 remains constant.

In the embodiment of FIG. 2, each contact element 32" is formed to define a single contact area 46. In this embodiment, the contact member 18', with its spaced apart contact points 42, 44, is utilized to transmit two separate surges of current to each contact element 32" during each revolution of the contact member 18'. Specifically, as the contact member 18' moves past one of the contact elements 32", the first surge of current will be transmitted when the contact point 42 moves past the contact area 46 of the one contact element and the second surge of current will be transmitted when the contact point 44 moves past the contact area 46 of the one contact element.

It has been found that the embodiment of FIG. 2 is more suitable for the use with ignition systems of smaller automobile engines for the so-called compact cars than it is with ignition systems of larger engines. Such smaller engines have relatively short combustion strokes and, therefore, the two sparks generated by the two separate surges of current are sufiicient completely to ignite the fuel in the cylinders.

In the embodiment of FIG. 3, the contact elements-32, one of which is shown in section in FIG. 5, are conventionally-shaped contact elements. Specifically, each contact element 32 is formed to define a generally periph erally extending contact area 48 and the contact member 18, which is also shown in section in FIG. 5, is formed to define a pair of peripherally spaced apart contact points 52, 54. The spacing between the contact points 5.2, 54 is such that the contact point 52 can move completely past a contact area 48 before its trailing contact point 54 begins to move past the contact area. The illustrated position of the contact member 18 in FIG. 3 clearly illustrates this feature.

It will be appreciated that the contact areas 48 of the contact elements 32 extend peripherally a greater distance than the contact areas 38, 40 and 46 illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2 and 4.

In the embodiment of FIG. 4, the contact elements 32" are used with a contact member 18" formed to define =three peripherally spaced contact points 50, 52, 54. Each several automobile engines to incorporate one of the above-described embodiments.

It has been found that in many cases, it is desirable to retime the ignition system when a distributor embodying the present invention is substituted for a conventional distributor in an existing engine.

In a working embodiment of this invention, typical dimensions for the rotor contact 18 of FIG. 1 are listed in the following, it being understood that these are given by way of example only and are not to be considered as limitative of the invention:

Inch Width of rotor contact 18 7 Spacing between contact points 42, 44 7 Width of each contact point 42, 44 M Length of each contact point 42, 44 Thickness of each contact point 42, 44

While there have been discussed above the principles of this invention in conjunction with specific apparatus, it is to be clearly understood that this description is made by way of example and not as a limitation to the scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. An improved distributor comprising a drive shaft, a plurality of contact elements peripherally spaced about said shaft, each contact element being adapted to be connected to a conventional spark plug, and a rotor mounted on said shaft for rotation therewith relative to said contact elements, wherein the improvement comprises current carrying means carried by the rotor, means for -continually connecting said current carrying means to a current source, said current carrying means comprising at least two peripherally spaced apart contact points, each contact point being arranged to move past and transmit a current surge to each contact element, whereby, at each such spark plug, at least two sparks are generated during each revolution of said rotor.

2. A distributor as in claim 1 wherein each of said contact elements is formed to provide a plurality of peripherally spaced contact areas past which each contact point must move, whereby each contact point transmits current to each contact area during each revolution-of said rotor.

3. A distributor as in claim 2 wherein each contact element is formed to provide a pair of said contact areas and there is a pair of said contact points, the peripheral spacing between each pair of contact areas being equal to the peripheral spacing between said contact points.

4. A distributor as in claim 1 wherein there are three of said contact points arranged to move past and transmit current to each contact element, whereby, at each such spark plug, three sparks are generated during each revolution of said rotor.

5. An improved distributor comprising a drive shaft, a rotor mounted on said shaft for rotation therewith, current carrying means carried by said rotor, means for continually connecting said current carrying means to a current source, a plurality of contact means peripherally spaced about said shaft and disposed stationary relative thereto, each contact means being adapted to be connected to a conventional spark plug, each contact means comprising means defining a plurality of peripherally spaced contact areas, each contact area being adjacent the path of movement of said current carrying means so that, during each revolution of said rotor, a surge of current is transmited from said current carrying means to each contact area, whereby each such spark plug receives a plurality of current surges during each such revolution of said rotor.

6. A distributor as in claim 5 wherein said current carrying means comprises means defining a plurality of current-carrying, peripherally spaced contact points, each of which is arranged to move past and transmit current to each of said contact areas.

7. The distributor of claim 1 in which the peripheral spacing between said contact elements and said contact points is such that a surge of current is transmitted to each contact element by each contact point before a surge of current is transmitted to its peripherally adjacent contact element.

8. The distributor of claim 5 in which the peripheral spacing between said contact means and the contact areas of each contact means and the dimensions of said current carrying means are such that a surge of current is transmitted to each contact area of each contact means by said current carrying means before a surge of current is transmitted to a contact area of a peripherally adjacent contact means.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,520,709 8/ 1950 Biller 20029 2,681,393 6/ 1954 Hopkins 2008 3,053,956 9/1962 Clavel 2008 XR 3,056,003 9/1962 Ra binow 20019 XR 3,206,562 9/ 1965 Griggs et a1. 2008 XR 3,226,496 12/1965 Seabury 2008 XR 3,275,761 9/ 1966 Yakim 200-8 XR 3,372,249 3/ 1968 Withem 20019 ROBERT K. SC-HAEFER, Primary Examiner J. R. SCOTT, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 

